Breadcrumb

Population growth

A Brief History of Badsey and Aldington (first edition) by R D H Seaman and T C Sparrow gives an interesting overview of population growth in the villages -

"Until the first official census in 1801, statements about population are largely guesswork, but statistics coming from the scrutiny of the records of baptisms and burials offer a rough indication of the rise and fall of population; here the figures are of Badsey and Aldington together.

Period

Baptisms

Burials

Burials per 100 Baptisms

1538-1619

706

432

61

1620-1701

662

506

76

1702-1748

791

575

72

The figures suggest that there may have been a slow rise in the population of the two villages during the Tudor period, with baptisms consistently well ahead of burials, but during the Stuart period the tendency was reversed and for 20 years in Charles II's reign burials actually exceeded baptisms and the population may have fallen. In the 18th century, and especially in the second half, a much increased rate of baptisms (and marriages) indicate a rise in births, but this was counterbalanced by some bad periods for mortality; during 1727-29, a time of national influenza epidemic, there were 87 burials, much the worst three-year period in Badsey's recorded history, although the 1770s and 80s were also a bad time, probably due to the prevalence of smallpox.

...The rapid development of the market gardening industry soon brought increased prosperity to the village. New people moved in and the dates recorded on many of the houses are an indication of the extensive building which occurred shortly before and after 1900. The population rose at a quite astonishing rate, as may be seen from the following figures for Badsey:

1871

487

1891

574

1911

1127

This was in marked contrast to other areas where there was no alternative to farming and many of the labourers either emigrated or left their villages to seek work in the large towns. If we look at a group of three parishes in another part of the county, the combined population of Upton Snodsbury, Grafton Flyford and Flyford Flavell fell from 792 in 1871 to 559 in 1911."

Here are population figures based on the censuses -

BADSEY

Year

Male

Female

Total

Increase

Acreage

Households

1801

145

139

284

-

1208

-

1811

126

136

262

-

1208

-

1821

157

177

334

18%

1208

-

1831

181

178

359

37%

1208

-

1841

211

184

395

18%

1208

99

1851

199

191

390

9%

1208

88

1861

202

203

405

3%

1208

-

1871

236

251

487

25%

1208

-

1881

223

220

443

9%

1208

-

1891

292

282

574

18%

1208

113

1901

398

377

775

75%

1208

170

1911

580

547

1127

96%

1208

245

1921

515

498

1013

31%

1208

254

1931

583

582

1165

3%

1220

302

1951

763

790

1553

33%

1425

458

1961

838

830

1668

23%

1425

542

1971

1010

1037

2047

32%

1425

705

1981

1137

1173

2310

38%

1425

822

1991

-

-

2556

25%

1425

967

2001

1288

1243

2531

10%

1425

-

ALDINGTON

Year

Male

Female

Total

Increase

Acreage

Households

1801

34

49

83

-

675

-

1811

39

41

80

-

675

-

1821

41

46

87

5%

675

-

1831

46

58

104

30%

675

-

1841

49

53

102

17%

675

23

1851

55

76

131

26%

675

26

1861

62

79

141

38%

675

-

1871

69

78

147

12%

675

-

1881

70

65

135

-4%

675

-

1891

91

82

173

18%

675

35

1901

70

86

156

16%

675

36

1911

73

76

149

-14%

675

36

1921

132

132

264

69%

675

59

1931

86

88

174

17%

663

50

1951

68

71

139

-20%

573

43

1961

85

82

167

7%

573

55

1971

113

113

226

63%

573

75

1981

126

118

244

46%

573

81

1991

-

-

281

24%

573

92

2001

105

127

232

-5%

573

-

Notes

Population increase is expressed as a percentage rise over the previous 20 years.